BIO310: Developmental Biology

Course Syllabus for "BIO310: Developmental Biology"

Developmental biology asks questions about how organisms come into
being, how life forms, and how complex structures develop and are
differentiated. These fundamental questions have been the subject of
research for centuries; accordingly, this course you will teach you not
only about the beginnings of organisms, but about the beginnings of
developmental biology as a science. Currently, developmental biologists
use a range of tools and research foci—from molecular techniques to
surgical manipulations to chemical and environmental studies—to answer
these questions. Their approaches are multi-faceted because
developmental biology itself addresses topics of importance to a wide
range of fields, from molecular biology to neuroscience to evolutionary
biology. In this course, you will learn about the field of developmental
biology from its origins to the present day. We will take a look at
historical experiments as well as modern techniques and the mechanisms
of development. You will follow a variety of metazoan organisms from
their start at fertilization through the stages of their development and
on to entire organismal and post-embryonic development, learning along
the way about the molecular and genetic regulations involved in these
processes.

Course Requirements

In order to take this course you must:

√ Have access to a computer.

√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.

√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g.,
Adobe Reader or Flash).

√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a
computer.

√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc,
.ppt,.xls, etc.).

√ Be competent in the English language.

Table of Contents: You can find the course's units at the links below.